Daniel Dubois vs Fabio Wardley 2 fight preview

On October 17 at the 02 Arena in London, Daniel Dubois vs Fabio Wardley 2 headlines a Queensberry Promotions fight card, live on DAZN. Dubois’ WBO heavyweight title will be on the line, a title he won against Wardley in their first meeting. As we edge closer to fight night, we bring you the preview for this highly anticipated heavyweight showdown.

Daniel Dubois vs Fabio Wardley: How the first fight unfolded

Daniel Dubois vs Fabio Wardley 1 took no time getting going; seconds into the first round, Wardley (20-1-1, 19 KOs) landed a right hand, which knocked Dubois down. It was a shocking first three minutes, with Wardley looking the sharper fighter.

Dubois got back to his feet and jabbed well in the second round. He began to find his range with his right hand as well. Wardley enjoyed a dream third round, landing another big right hand, flooring a stunned Dubois. “Dynamite” again made it to his feet and landed a big right hand of his own. The first three rounds produced fireworks with no let-up.

Over the next couple of rounds, Dubois began to get on top, working well off his ramrod jab, and finding a regular home for his huge right hand. Round six was a firefight from start to finish. Dubois clearly hurt Wardley, but the Ipswich man continued to meet Dubois head-on. Dubois continued to land the more telling punches over the next two rounds, with Wardley’s face showing just how hard and accurate “Dynamite” hits.

During round nine, Dubois’ discipline with his jab could only be applauded, while Wardley looked on the verge of being stopped when he stumbled out of the corner at the start of the tenth. However, he continued to show immense bravery and fired back, but Dubois continued to look the fresher. The challenger remained on top and started the eleventh round strongly, landing more telling shots, leading to the referee stepping in and waving the fight off, crowning Daniel Dubois the new WBO heavyweight champion. What a fight!

What has changed since Manchester

This is an immediate rematch for both, so it’s difficult to talk about any obvious changes. Wardley has openly discussed how he and his team have made changes to their training camp, with the Ipswich and staying away from his family being the main differences.

Dubois is exuding more believable confidence in the build-up to this fight. In the past, it sometimes felt like he would be saying the right things, but feeling like he never believed what he was saying. Now, hearing him declare he’s levels above Wardley is more believable. His win over Wardley appears to have instilled a newfound confidence in him, and this belief is starting to show.

The Keys to Victory

The keys to victory for Dubois are to watch for Wardley’s power early on. Despite overcoming the knockdowns in their first fight, Dubois and his team will not want to give Wardley any encouragement this time.

The other key to victory for Dubois is his jab, and it’s imperative he establishes that power jab early on. He used the jab to perfection against Anthony Joshua, and if he can establish that in the opening round again, it could be a real tough night for the Ipswich fighter.

Wardley needs to box with more patience. Knocking Dubois down twice so early seemed to make him ‘head hunt’ for the rest of the fight, looking for that one big punch. Dubois has a great chin, and Wardley needs to time his big shots and set up the attacks with more poise, rather than punching from row Z every single time. It’s heavyweight boxing, so one big punch from Wardley can change this fight in a second, but we really feel he needs to use his own jab more and punch in combinations rather than look for that one huge shot.

Listen to Ricky and TJ Rives discuss Daniel Dubois vs Fabio Wardley 2 by pressing the play button below.

The Big Fight Weekend verdict: Prediction for Daniel Dubois vs Fabio Wardley 2

The first fight between these two was a fight of the year candidate, and rightly so. From the first round until the stoppage in the eleventh, it was a straight firefight. Despite the knockdowns, it was one-sided, with Dubois dictating the distance and tempo of the fight for much of the remaining rounds after the knockdown in the third.

Wardley’s bravery cannot be questioned, but can he make the necessary adjustments to gain revenge? Looking at what he’s done in his pro career, it’s difficult to see him making the changes to beat Dubois. Saying he needs to box with more patience is all well and good, but Dubois will be using his ramrod jab, and will that make Wardley panic and revert to type, trying to look for that one fight-altering punch?

I’m anticipating a slower start to the rematch, but feel as though Dubois will get the stoppage win again during the later rounds, or if Wardley makes adjustments and the fight goes 12 rounds, Dubois winning by decision is another distinct possibility.

Daniel Dubois vs Fabio Wardley 2 full fight card

• Daniel Dubois vs Fabio Wardley 2, 12 rounds, for Dubois’ WBO heavyweight title
• Bakhodir Jalolov vs Solomon Dacres, 10 rounds, heavyweights
• Louie O’Doherty vs Michael Gomez Jr., 12 rounds, for O’Doherty’s British and Commonwealth lightweight titles
• Tony Curtis vs Kerim Agius, 8 rounds, super flyweights
• Manny Safari vs Jake Pollard, 4 rounds, super bantamweights

Stay with Big Fight Weekend for coverage of Daniel Dubois vs Fabio Wardley 2, including results and video highlights, and post-fight analysis.

Featured Image Credit:

Queensberry, Leigh Dawney